It has been suggested that as mayor of Barnesville I’m not concerned about crime in our community. Because I haven’t held a press conference, written a letter to the editor or called a town hall meeting I’m somehow not outraged over the sad and senseless murder of John Dixson which occurred in our community.

You make some good points. However, if you want to see how other communities see us, google 'Barnesville, Georgia'. What you'll get is video after video on youtube of college aged kids partying, drinking, smoking, dancing provocatively while half dressed at Barnesville's own Horton's Rendevous. Which, coincidently is owned by who? One of our own county commissioners. It's no wonder Barnesville is attracting drug dealers and riff-raff. All they have to do is google Barnesville and/or Gordon College and that crap pops up. And what happens on Fri and Sat nights after Horton's Rendevous closes? The riff-raff all head out to the Huddle House to continue the party and start fights over loose women and drugs. We all see this or have heard about but we turn a blind eye. Why?

barnesville has a problem.that problem is the same plague that has taken over jonesboro,east point,college park,decatur,conyers,riverdale,lovejoy Ect.. .the gansta thug wanna-be rap mentality.plain and simple.untill this county and city address this disease they problem will continue to grow and spread.
you can stick your head in the sand,you can close your eye's and keep saying "it's not there, its not happening,it will go away",you can get everybody to hold hands and dance around the love tree singing kum-ba-yah,you can have all the community projects you want,paint the whole town pink!
barnesville has a cancer,you can take the coward way out and cry racism and race baiting all you want but buddy you better wake the hell up.this slime is creeping ever closer to your front door.stop denying the facts and looking for reasons to not address the problem.have the guts to stand up and do something about the problem.

Hey, Mr. Mayor, I have an idea: If you don't want crime to define this city, how about you do something about it?

Seriously??? You spent all that time writing and end up really not saying anything? Your strongest statement is how upset you are about the comments in the threads of articles here. Get a clue! You are "dismayed" by the comments? Hey, us little people out here that actually have to live and function in this city without the perks of being the mayor are dismayed by the crimes committed in our streets, against our neighbors and the community at large. I'll put our dismay against yours any day.

You say the number of arrests indicates how good of job our law enforcement is doing? Then I would suggest that the high number of repeat offenders indicate how poor of job is being done by the entire justice system in Barnesville. I'd also suggest that the high number of arrests tells me someone has put out the word that it is open season in Lamar County for drugs.

All I get out of this is you just wasted a bunch of space to say nothing. It makes me think of a guy on a sinking ship saying:

"Hey, everyone! I know the ship is sinking, but come on: let's not let this define us. I mean, it is really a pretty ship and think of all the good stuff on this ship. Sure it is sinking, but if it weren't think of how much fun we would be having. You people are really upsetting me with only focus on the sinking and drowning and stuff."

In case you are missing the analogy, STOP THE SHIP FROM SINKING!

All you have done through this article is make sure I will not vote for you in the next election. And you can count on me advocating against your reelection.

Well said!
And I concur...
Our Politicians in this town make me sick to my stomach. Whenever I see their smiling faces in this paper, I wonder how in the H*LL can they smile with all that is going on in this town and our community.

I read all your comments about the situation in Barnesville with amusement. All I see is bitchen that everyone but the writter has fallen down on what you perceive their "function" should be. No one has ever given a suggestion as what he/she is willing to help out with to rectify the problem.

You should do more reading. There have been a lot of suggestions and questions. Just because you only read the comments to this article, don't right off everyone as just "bitchen" (which, by the way is spell with an "-in'" not "-en").

And while we are on the subject, any ideas from you or are you saying you believe things are wonderful? Instead of sitting back and being amused, how about you pitch in?

We help out by paying Taxes and Double Fire Fee's Don that should be used to pay our local law enforcement agencies. They should get off the A** and out of their golf carts and keep arresting the criminals that the Judges keep placing on Probation.

Look at the Police & Sheriff reports. This week they have re-arrested 6 people for probation violations. What does it take for them to understand probation doesn't work and the crimes continue to be more VIOLENT around this town.

Very well said Mr. Mayor. I agree that we do indeed have the best law enforcement that we have had in ages and by the efforts from those different agencies to rebuild the working relationship that was destroyed by one man this horrific crime was solved quickly. The arrest reports not only reflect the amount of crime in our county but also show the efforts by law enforcement to stop the crime.

Peter...you need to give that last sentence of your article to Barney the dinosaur. A group hug AIN'T gonna cut it my friend. Evidently you missed last week's newspaper. That front page damn well does define exactly what B'ville has become. I still believe the family of John Dixson has grounds for a lawsuit against the county. The allegedly MURDERING THUG should have been in jail and John would still be merrily spreading help and cheer. Our America is going to Hell in a hand basket...I would hate to know I was helping to carry that basket. Do your hands have callouses?

I am reading all of the comments regarding a beloved citizen, friend and family member's death. Outrage on how he died by the hand of a low life criminal is what every village, town, city, state fights to prevent everyday.-it is also what the above try to bring to justice and keep their people safe.
The bigger picture is that no one is "safe." You can have the most perfect plan in place and again, there is always a way for a criminal to get in. If a solution rests in the law of our town and county-hold those that let him off if they didn't act accordingly, responsible, but if he was out because of the said laws, you can't hold a mayor or police office responsible. All officials actions are pursuant to law-if they responded to the contrary-then speak out-and when you speak -make sure you have the legality to back it up. No criminal is freed because of hugs and callouses-Citizens-Keep Barnesville safe and work in a positive manner to make changes Stop the attacks and MOVE FORWARD.

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